Wedding Blog
While researching our Costa Rica anniversary trip, I realized how time consuming it is to surf through sites and plan a good vacation. It makes me want to start a travel site! 
Based on popular destinations, advice from friends who honeymooned there and advice from former Costa Rica residents thistleorchid and cubangirl, the 4 areas we’re interested in are:
The main airport is in San Jose, but there is another international airport in Liberia. The problem is we only have 3-4 nights, and every destination is about 3-4 hours apart. Since both of us have never been to a rainforest or volcano, it made sense to visit Monteverde and Arenal. Mr. Bee isn’t also much of a beach person (although I am).
This is the general itinerary I’ve mapped out so far. We’ll squeeze in more activities if we have time - there’s horseback riding, rafting, atvs, and more - but we want to try to relax and keep it pretty mellow.
The flight from New York is around 5 hours, and if we do the San Jose-Monteverde-Arenal-Monteverde itinerary above, we’d spend so much time travelling between cities. Though not far in actual distance, the roads are not paved which is why it takes so long.
But now I’m wavering about whether we should split the time between Monteverde and Liberia instead. That way we could fly into Liberia, spend two nights on the beach there, and two nights in Monteverde to see the rainforest and do ziplines (my must-do!). Manuel Antonio - a city known for “more monkeys than people” - was also recommended for a rainforest/beach vacation. The beaches are gorgeous there, but will the rainforest be as nice as the one in Monteverde? Ah dilemmas…
Those of you who have travelled to Costa Rica, what do you suggest?
Since we don’t have that much time, I want to make the most of our trip and not spend too much time travelling from city to city. Your advice is appreciated.
I used Monteverde Info, Arenal.net, and Virtual Tourist for research. Other great sites for travel research include Lonely Planet and Tripadvisor.
What are some of your favorite sites to use for travel research?
|
Share this post: Costa Rica
Sorry I haven’t replied to your email! Definetly book your transport in advance. All of those iteneraries are great. If you wanted more time in Arenal, they actually have a couple of ziplines there as well.
The great thing about travelling in Costa Rica is that while the roads are awful, the scenery is great! So part of the fun is slowing down and watchign the vegetation and animals you can spot along the way.
I’ll email you soon - trying to get *some* work done today, despite trowling weddingbee (total distraction!)
Mrs. Bee,
I would skip out on Arenal– I know a lot of people love it, but if you really want to go to a hot spring, you can pay a taxi driver to take you to the Las Juntas hot springs from Monteverde (it’s about a 40 min drive, and you can get the whole evening for $40).
My FI and I fell in love in Playa Hermosa, which is near Liberia. Hermosa is very low key– just you and the beach. Or, there’s Tamarindo, which is very touristy, but fun. Close by, Playa Flamingo has a beautiful resort that’s $70/night, and you could still go to Tamarindo for an evening of good dining and dancing. If you pick this, I have hotel and restaurant names for you.
And if you do go to Arenal and MV, go to Arenal first then MV. the time traveling back and forth is not worth it.
I vote you fly in and out of Liberia, direct from Newark and rent a car (a tiny tiny SUV). Two days on the beach and two days in the rainforest sounds perfect!
(I love Manuel Antonio, but it’s too far from MV for one short trip).
I’m going to CR late February/early March and my itinerary includes: San Jose - Pacuare River (for rafting) - back to San Jose for another night - Monteverde - Arenal - back to SJ for flight home. Total trip is 6 days.
Honestly, it was a pain to plan the trip because all the attractions are located in different places, and we had to plan for transportation between the towns, book the tours and hotels for each area, etc. We purchased the Costa Rica Lonely Planet guide and it was very helpful!
i liked flickr when researching st. lucia. it allowed us to see real pics of the island from real people who went there.
what about all 4 days in manuel antonio? according to websites i looked at, the distance is 3-4 hours from either san jose or liberia?
i wish we had more time - I want to see it all!
All four days in Manuel Antonio and you would get great beach time, a lush rainforest (not a cloudforest) and a beautiful hotel. I can email you photos if you want, but check out http://www.costaverde.com . You will see more wildlife than almost anywhere else. And it’s (correct me if I’m wrong, thistleorchid) about 5 hours from San Jose on Interbus (Liberia is much further).
I could see monkeys from the balcony of my little house in MV sometimes, but I saw more in two trips to Manuel Antonio than I would for months at a time in MV.
BTW, if anyone else is planning Costa Rica for their honeymoon, I would be happy to answer questions…. silvia1013@hotmail.com
Fodors.com is where I planned most of my itinerary. Look at their Destinations tab–then go to the talk boards. So helpful.
I’m sure you know this, but depending on when you land and leave from San Jose–sometimes you need an extra night there as I’ve heard that it can be challenging to drive at night, even with a hired driver, and the drive times can be unpredictable so you don’t necessarily want to be 4.5 hours away when you leave. Just a thought.
I would think 3-4 days in MA would be ideal, but that’s just me.
We are staying a few days in the Central Valley, MA, and the Osa Peninsula! I can’t wait–this time next week I’ll be on my honeymoon!!
cubangirl’s right - go into SJO if you’re going to manuel antonio. It’s a gorgeous spot, I havent’ been in years but it’s beautiful…
Mrs bee, I wouldn’t skip out on Manuel Antonio or Arenal since this is your anniversary trip. My hubby and I went to Costa Rica for our honeymoon and I vowed that we will come back. MA and Arenal are must see and there are so many eatries in AM that I wouldn’t want you to miss out on since I know you enjoy a good food selections! Plus, having a fresh ceviche right on the beachfront of MA is awesome and so cheap - less than $6! Cold Imperial Beer and Ceviche is so yummy~ ;o) Also, be sure to check out a coffee hous called Cafe Milagro - few hotels down from Si Como No - since it would be an ideal place for you to enjoy a nice cup of coffee(best cup of java in CR) and blog on wedddingbee since they offer free internet access. Their lunch menu is amazing in it self too~
We stayed at Si Como No hotel in MA and LOVED it! the staff, the accommdation, the food and everything about it - it is eco-friendly!
As for tour companies - we went rafting, hiking and few other tours thru Iguana Tours and they were awesome. Our whole trip was planned thru allabouthoneymoon.com and it was so easy and cost effective. If you need more info. feel free to email me - parkster7831@gmail.com
i was concerned about the roads and travel time from the airport too so we’ll most likely be taking the first flight out of ny and arrive around 12 or 1.
i still can’t decide which cities to visit!
our trip to CR was one of the most difficult i’ve ever had to plan. imho, monteverde was a little boring. the rainforest / reserve was cool but we’re not nature folks. seeing the monkeys was neat but…not worth the 3-4 hour drive.
if you’re going to arenal, i would stay at tabacon. the entrance fee into the hot springs at tabacon is high and at most, we only stayed a couple of hours. arenal also has waterfall rapelling / canyoning…which is AMAZING.
http://www.puretrekcostarica.com/canyoning.html
the last place we stayed at was the waterfall gardens. this place was BEAUTIFUL and was a perfect way to end our trip (before we got lost on the way to the airport).
http://www.waterfallgardens.com/
and for the cost of private transportation, i’d recommend renting a car. it gives you much more freedom when traveling between cities as well as within each city when you arrive. the roads aren’t THAT bad. but there are very FEW signs…but totally do-able with a map and a good sense of humor. =)
hth!
We’re going to CR for our honeymoon too!
I had seen someone on an earlier post recommend the Osa Peninsula & Drake Bay in the North. I really want it all - spa, beach, wildlife & nature / relaxation. We have 9 days or so and were planning to go at the end of November. Is this too close to the rainy season? Should we wait until Feb? Also, does anyone know of reasonable honeymoon registry with travel agent services bundled in?
I’ve been getting travel itineraries through http://www.costaricaexperts.com
November may be rainy, but honestly - the rainy season isn’t so bad. A typical rainy season day will be warm and sunny except for about 2 hours a day in the early afternoon. That’s true for the capital. In the rainforest - well, yes, it will rain. Bring a poncho and you’re all set!
I use http://www.kayak.com a lot. They have this good forum, and made airfare seach so much easier.
http://www.kayak.com/h/chatter/search?what=costa+rica
there’s this really good chicken place. it’s quite possibly the best tong ddak i’ve ever had…i’ll find out the name.
I would do two days in Arenal and two in Manuel Antonio on your initial trip. If you are like most of us it won’t be your last!
In Arenal you can hike at the volcano and do a nice canopy tour. I would second the recommendation to stay at Tabacon.
If you can afford it, you can fly from San Jose to Quepos (the airport that services Manuel Antonio) for about $100 per person round trip. Given your limited time, this would really help you maximize your time. Hotel Costa Verde is a great place to stay and very reasonable. Second the plug for Cafe Milagro. Their coffee and club sandwiches with avocado are the best!
Enjoy!
| Visit our sister sites | Project Wedding Wedding Songs |
eHarmony Advice Dating Advice |
JustMommies Pregnancy Calendar |
Fertile Thoughts Infertility Support |
Mrs. Bee, New York
Age and Occupation: 29, Weddingbee Publisher
Fiance's Age and Occupation: 33, Internet
Engagement Date: May 7, 2004
Wedding Date: March 5, 2005
Venue: Westside Loft, New York
About Me: Yes, my name really is Bee! I love my blogging, wikis, and tabasco sauce!
| Sun | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
| 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 |
| 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 |
| 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 |
| 29 | 30 |
Latest Gallery Pics